NEWS

Big Data will power the future of the automotive industry according to Autorola’s group CEO Peter Groftehauge

Jun 27, 2018 written by Autorola

Insights into local, regional and national used car sales generated by INDICATA’s real time online used vehicle management system is helping car dealers run the perfect used car inventory.

Having access to data that can be used to sell more used cars more quickly, and importantly help them only stock cars that in high demand gives dealers an advantage over their competition.

INDICATA has micro and macro benefitsThis works from both a micro perspective when a dealer is selling an individual car against its local rivals in its local market, and from a macro perspective when an OEM needs a proactive overview of its entire national used car stock.

“Companies are beginning to understand how big data can help make people become more efficient in the way they manage their used car inventories. Used car dealers and OEMs can manage their used car stock more efficiently and ultimately reduce stocking days and improve profitability.

Where new car sales are falling there is an increased focus on used car sales“In countries where new car sales have started to fall then used cars are a major profit contributor, so INDICATA has arrived at a good time,” said Groftehauge.

INDICATA is live in 13 countries with Europe-wide contracts held with a number of OEMs. Over six million used cars are scanned every day with over 2,500 dealers worldwide using its powerful insights.

Autorola reported growth across the group in 2017Its success has helped the Autorola group to report its second-best year by turnover in 2017 at the same time generating healthy profits that it can re-invest in the business.

The group has invested around 17m Euros in its 70-strong IT and software department over the last five to eight years, and investments of 3-4m Euros per year will continue as Autorola aims to keep its 19 subsidiaries at the top of their game.

Autorola continues investment in its products and servicesThis investment has also benefited the development of Autorola Solutions where its Fleet Monitor asset management portal manages vehicle fleets from pre-delivery inspection to auction for a number of OEMs, European banks, leasing companies and dealer groups. Big fleets generate big data and it’s important for an asset owner to be able to quickly check, analyse and respond to the information to make their operation more efficient.

Autorola’s online MarketPlace auction and INDICATA are working together in many countries. OEMs and their dealers can upload any over age stock or unwanted part exchanges onto the online platform for a quick sale to the trade. Dealers then use INDICATA to decide which stock is selling fast in their area and then access more of those used cars quickly and efficiently online.

Autorola Netherlands is helping companies export used diesels to markets where demand is strong

Jun 27, 2018 written by Autorola

Autorola Netherlands is providing a vital export service to smaller leasing companies to help maximise prices for their ex-fleet diesel cars, many of which have fallen in value over the past six months.

Autorola is using its Europe-wide online remarketing portal to connect diesel cars with buyers in countries where demand is still strong.

Pan European marketing strategy“The dramatic fall in demand for used diesels has opened asset owners’ eyes that unless they adopt a pan-European remarketing strategy they risk losing tens of thousands of Euros,” explained Zijad Halilovic, Autorola Netherlands, business development manager.

“Opening stock up to a Europe-wide buyer-base avoids the problem of dealing with potential residual losses or even having to stock pile cars. Our online remarketing platform is finding homes for thousands of used cars in strong diesel markets such as Portugal, Croatia and Romania,” he added.

40-55% of Autorola stock is exportedBetween 40-55% of ex-lease stock sold on the Autorola portal is now being exported compared to an industry average of 20-25%. Average transaction prices are between 10-14,000 Euros and it takes around 7-10 days for cars to be delivered cross border. Vendors receive their money quickly and efficiently.

The INDICATA real time used vehicle management portal is also helping support the move to an international remarketing strategy, as live market insights enable vendors to quickly identify cars in stock that are struggling to meet reserves or where demand is non-existent.

Market insights support the export and import process“Vendors can quickly identify which cars are struggling to sell and make a strategic decision to market their car online and get it sold quickly. Whether that is to a local or European buyer it shouldn’t matter if the car is sold for a market price,” said Zijad.

The Netherlands is a strong petrol market and increased used demand has meant dealers are now importing cars from Germany, Belgium, Denmark and France via the Autorola online portal to satisfy consumer demand.

Autorola’s online platform brings buyers and sellers togetherThis has pushed import volumes ahead of export, with petrol cars such as the VW Polo and Golf, Toyota Aygo and Opel Corsa very popular. Once again Autorola’s online portal is at the heart of putting buyers and sellers together on a Europe-wide basis.

Autorola Portugal is at the heart of the digital transformation of the Portugese motor industry

Jun 27, 2018 written by Autorola

Around 68,000 used cars were imported in 2017 to help satisfy consumer demand. It has been the only way the industry has been able to balance the supply with demand.

Used car imports help satisfy consumer demandMany of these used cars are imported via Autorola’s online remarketing portal with cars being purchased predominantly from France, Germany, Belgium and Holland. Within a few days of buying online the used cars can be on a dealer’s forecourt ready for sale.

New WLTP regulations could impact new car salesOne key spoiler in the new car market could be the new WLTP regulations set go live on 1 September. WLTP affects the global automotive sector and will put all OEMs on the same band width and the Portugese government is yet to announce the fiscal impact of the new legislation.

With new car taxes already very high in Portugal it could be very harmful for some brands, however they could choose to introduce a new transitional legal framework to control the taxes impact based on CO2 which would help support new car sales. Autorola is at the heart of the digital transformation of the industry Autorola has been at the heart of the used car industry for many years and been a key contributor to the digital transformation of the motor industry. Portugal continues to grow its reputation as having a high technology infrastructure and used car vendors from dealers and leasing companies, to banks and rental companies have embraced online selling.Over the past five to six years around 50% of business cars have been sold online. Companies such as leasing, rentals and dealer groups have had great results online across the Autorola group and in Portugal hold regular weekly online sales to dispose of their cars.

Traders market their used cars via social mediaTrade buyers have been switched onto buying used cars online for many years. Many use their smart phone to bid online, while the smaller independents market many of their used cars via social media. The technology revolution is alive and well across all industries in Portugal which explains the country’s acceptance to adopt the INDICATA real time used vehicle management portal.

Agreements are already in place for our INDICATA real time used vehicle management with Renault, Toyota, Kia and the VW Group. Dealer groups value the real-time insights the system provides to enable them to run their used vehicle businesses as efficiently as possible.

Used market insights have been welcomed by dealersHaving access to detailed insights about their local used market and that of their close rivals has been welcomed by dealers. OEMs are also using it to create a country-wide picture of their entire used car stock, in particular average stocking times, both locally and nationally.

Autorola Australia country manager Philip Browne on how online remarketing is helping change the used car landscape

Jun 27, 2018 written by Autorola

Personal leases have grown in popularity over the past 12-24 months with consumers looking to switch from owning to the flexibility of leasing a car. Currently these account for up to 90,000 new car sales each year with Toyota Finance one of the biggest players.

National leasing companies are offering competitive lease rates on new cars and when the consumer has equity in the car calling them with an offer to swap them into another new car.

Upstream sellingLease companies are using Autorola to sell ex-lease cars upstream, whereby 3-6 months before the end of the contract the car is inspected and pre-sold to a buyer. Pre-selling the ex-lease car is proving an efficient disposal method for the leasing industry while the used market is buoyant. Used cars are sold within days of being de-fleeted and the customer gets to drive away in a new car keeping the market stimulated.

Another strong source of used cars into the market is via the fleet sector. Offering a company car as part of the recruitment package especially as competition to employ talent across the country is very high. Typically, fleets are keeping cars for between 3-4 years up to 140,000km and these are offering a different type of used stock proposition to dealer part exchanges and ex personal lease trade-ins.

Tourism is contributing to a growing hire car fleetTourism continues to grow in Australia and with it the rental market, particularly around Sydney and Melbourne. Nine million visitors were welcomed in the year ending March 2018, an increase of 7.7% and sufficient growth to see all the major rental companies extend their hire fleets. Hertz remains the number one rental company, with the majority of cars now being purchased on risk as opposed to manufacturer buy-backs.

The larger hire companies tend to keep cars for 18 months while the smaller independents usually replace their cars every 24 months. Ex-rental cars provide valuable used stock into the market as they fall between dealer part exchanges and ex-fleet cars.

Autorola runs two salvage auctions per day in AustraliaA continued growth area for Autorola’s online remarketing proposition is the salvage market where cars are inspected, photographed and offered for sale in situ. On average Autorola runs two salvage auctions per day online and sells between 400-500 salvage cars online each month, a figure which continues to grow.

Selling the vehicle online is an efficient route to market due to the physical size of the country. The vehicle is marketed online but does not move until it has been purchased by the buyer thus reducing the need for insurance companies incurring expensive transport costs. Offering salvage vehicles for sale online to a wider range of buyers ensures the insurance company gets the best price.

Autorola has moved the used salvage market onlineThe Autorola proposition has transformed the market as previously salvage stock would just be offered to local trade buyers, or it would be taken to a regional storage yard incurring huge transport costs to be auctioned. Online remarketing not only speeds up the sale but also ensures it remains a highly cost-effective process.

Overall the Australian economy is looking forward to more years of stability, but with the advent of the growth in personal leases and the end of domestic car production the automotive sector continues to reinvent itself.

Peugeot Turkey signs up to INDICATA Web Service

Jun 27, 2018 written by Autorola

Peugeot Turkey has signed an agreement with INDICATA Web Service in Turkey which empowers potential customers to value their own used cars online via the brand’s used car website www.peugeotikinciel.com.tr

Drivers immediately receive a preliminary price for their used car and their details are handed over to the dealer to immediately follow up the potential customer.

Peugeot aims for 1,000 leads per monthWeb Service is being used as a lead management tool by Peugeot Turkey to grow new and used car sales across its dealer network. Peugeot is aiming to achieve around 1,000 dealer leads per month through the initiative.

“Web Service provides OEMs with an online pricing tool for consumers which provides an immediate price for their car. This starts a valuable new relationship with a prospect online, which transfers over to the dealer whose aim is to turn the driver into a customer,” explained Oğuzhan Saygi, Autorola Turkey’s country manager.

Introduction from Autorola CEO & Founder, Peter Grøftehauge

Apr 17, 2018 written by Autorola

The key ambition of every OEM and dealer we meet is for us to help provide them with more insight into the buying habits of their customers. Ultimately the aim of every used car dealer is to use this insight to sell more cars, more quickly for the best possible price, at the same minimising stocking days across their forecourt.

Global interest in INDICATAThis insight is now well and truly available with the launch of our INDICATA real time used vehicle management platform, which provides OEMs and car dealers around the globe with the insights they need to achieve all of the above.

We have lost count of the amount of countries, OEMs, dealer groups, banks and leasing companies that now use INDICATA.

Increased focus on selling used carsIn a period when many countries are experiencing a fall in new car sales more time and resource is being spent on growing used car sales, hence the growing interest in INDICATA.

If it means every dealer using INDICATA sells an extra few cars per month we are proud that we are making a difference for our customers. Long may that continue. Read about some of those successes in our Spring newsletter.

Turkey signs up two OEMs with 113 dealers and 14 brands to INDICATA

Apr 17, 2018 written by Autorola

INDICATA is changing the way OEMs and dealers do business, as it gives a different view of the Turkish used car market. INDICATA has shown users that its real time used vehicle insights helps them sell more used cars and generate more profit.

OEMs who represent 14 brands and 113 dealers have signed up to use INDICATA – DOĞUŞ OTOMOTIV and TOFAŞ GROUP are using it in their head offices and across their dealer networks.

Turkey’s largest corporate used brand adopts INDICATADOĞUŞ OTOMOTIV is the distributor of VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche brands, They have Turkey’s first and largest corporate used vehicle brand DOD, established in 1999, has become the symbol of confidence in the sector, since it has developed new projects and studies has strengthened its leadership in the used car sector. They are using INDICATA at its head office and with 55 dealers in all over Turkey.

TOFAŞ GROUP is the distributor of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Jeep, Ferrari and Maserati and is using INDICATA at its headquarters and with 58 dealers across Turkey.

Strong acceptance of INDICATA in TurkeyINDICATA Turkey began its operations in May 2017 and in eight months signed 58 new customers up to our real time used vehicle management system.

Its partnership with Peugeot goes from strength to strength, helping them monitor their dealer’s performance and to improve the way they do business. The aim is to start working with Peugeot dealers as well in 2018, while the latest OEM to work with INDICATA Turkey is Volvo, where the group has a global alliance.

OTOKOÇ evaluates INDICATA webserviceTurkey’s biggest retail and leasing company OTOKOÇ Otomotiv recently started to evaluate all the running and selling vehicles with the INDICATA webservice. OTOKOÇ Otomotiv today has 36 branches, 72 Avis and 44 Budget offices in Turkey.

The automotive sector in Turkey experienced a tough time in 2017 with new car sales decreasing by 2.8% in 2017 compared to the previous year with 956,194 cars sold. It’s clear that these results are positively affecting the used car market which grew by 10.8% to 7.45m units compared with 2016 (6.7m units sold)

OEMS increase their focus on building used car brandsAll the major players in the automotive sector have started to focus on their brand’s used car operations, because it is not enough to focus on just new cars anymore.

Most of the OEMs have started to develop certified used car projects, to create the infrastructure for dealers to sell their own vehicles in a more structured and efficient way.

In 2018, we have 3 main targets: ❶ to focus on OEMs primarily,❷ to expand the usage of our new product webservice, we believe that especially the big fleet & rental companies, the finance companies, the banks, the OEMs will love to use it.❸ to be the only company who provides the most reliable source of information about used car market in Turkey with several type of reports thanks to Data Warehouse which will be launched in May’18.

So in 2018 INDICATA is becoming the main IT system that is supporting the industry’s used car growth.

Bid Agent helps busy buyers avoid missing out on prime used stock

Autorola has launched Bid Agent which enables buyers to automate their bidding when buying vehicles online.

Used vehicle buyers are busy people and this automated service helps them to avoid missing out on buying prime stock when they unable to bid.

Bid Agent automatically raises a bid by 50 eurosEach time another bidder places their bid, the Bid Agent automatically raises the bid by 50 euros. If another bidder exceeds your set threshold, the Bid Agent sends you a message and you can choose to increase your bid ceiling.

Used car market insights help drive growth for Autorola Sweden and its dealer customers

Apr 17, 2018 written by Autorola

Autorola Sweden has experienced a 284% year-on-year growth in its business thanks to using smart data to help identify issues and opportunities for its dealer customers.

Autorola’s INDICATA real time used vehicle management tool has completely changed the way the Sweden team work. Its powerful local and national used market insights have enabled the team to act as partners/consultants to its customers.The proof is in the numbers as annually the Swedish business has grown experientially.

Smart data helps identify issues and opportunities for dealersBrian Madsen, country manager of Autorola Sweden said: “Before we were “just” a channel for our sellers but now we are using smart data which gives us the upside to identify issues and opportunities by analysing the market and dealer inventory.

“We can now see which cars are fast moving and which are slow-moving. Our performance managers work directly and close with our selling and buying partners and on a daily basis we help them increase the quality of their used car inventory, increase sales and stock turn. That in turn increases profitability on used car operations,” he added.

A fast selling used car inventory is vitalThe value of used cars do not increase over time, so time is important and you need to make sure your used car inventory can sell fast, so dealers need to sell the cars which are slow-moving and buy more fast-moving cars.

Autorola Sweden is offering its partners support to achieve just that and it now exports 78% of the cars on its online portal. In an international environment Autorola’s international connections are key for success.

Dealers have a chance to run the perfect used car inventory“The used car market offers a great opportunity for optimising sales and profits, but the perfect used car inventory is key for any car dealer. INDICATA is enabling dealerships to meet the demands of their customers by providing the right vehicle, at the right price to the right customer,” explained Madsen.

Graph caption:Using SMART DATA as a geo pricing tool we can now see which country/region cars will sell faster and get a better price. This analysis from Sweden shows all models as it is now, but in our daily life we are using this data to analyse our partner dealer inventories and buy backs from leasing/rental to identify opportunities on model and trim level.

New car sales in Italy grew for the fourth year running in 2017 to 2.2 million and with positive GDP growth every month for the past two years the outward appearance is that the country is finally showing signs of shaking off its long-term recession.

But the country’s employment rate remains one of the lowest in Europe.

Trading has been tough for car dealersThe new car sales figures are misleading as manufacturers and dealers continue to offer large incentives to continue stimulating demand. These incentives have forced many car dealers to stop trading and there is still a wide range of consolidation in the industry as businesses search for ways to grow and improve profitability.

Used cars is where many dealers are now concentrating their time, so one year on from the launch of the INDICATA real time used vehicle management system it has seen some strong traction.

INDICATA is driving dealer profitabilityIt provides a swift tonic to helping dealers and OEMs increase used sales. The bigger more professional dealer groups and OEMs appreciate the insights that INDICATA provides will help reduce stocking days. Ultimately profitability is worth investing in.

Its ability to ensure dealers buy the used cars they know are in high demand and avoid those in low demand is a key factor in reducing average stocking days. Being able to also use INDICATA insights to have the confidence to increase prices on a used car a dealer knows is in high demand or in low supply is a major benefit to them. It means Italian dealers can adopt a much more efficient stocking policy which they have welcomed.

Italian used cars are being exported across EuropeCurrently up to 20% of Italian used cars being exported through the Autorola Marketplace online portal are being purchased by German buyers, while Austrian dealers are also buying used cars, not just for selling into the home market, but also for export to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Meanwhile Italian drivers still prefer German cars whenever possible helping the VW group increase sales in 2017. The Far Eastern brands such as Hyundai and Kia continue to increase their market share to compete with home brands such as Fiat.

Diesel sales remain strong in ItalyItaly is one market where diesel sales are still strong – in 2017 they saw diesel sales rise, while hybrid car sales jumped by a massive 71% in 2017.